Apparatus for popping corn.



f PATENTED MAY 24,1904. J. B.-BARTHOLOMBW'. APPARATUS FOR POPBING 001m,

' APPLIGATION FILED DBO. B, 1891.

.10 MODEL. I l 4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. UNI-TED 'STA s Patented May 24, 1904.

JOHN B. BARTHOLOMEW, or nns MOINES, IOWA.-

APPARATUS. FOR, POPPING coma.

sPEcIFic TIo'n forming part ofLetters Patent No. 760,604, dated May 24, 1904.1 I

Application filed December 3,1891. Serial no; 414,399- (No nodL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. BARTHOLOMEW,

' a citizen-of the United States, and a resident pact, and cheap in construction by which-the kernels of corn to be popped are retained during the operation of popping within arevoluble containing-receptacle and sub ected to the influence of heat, said kernels being constantly in motion until discharged, this latter result being accomplished after the kernels of corn have been completely popped.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of means by which, in a revoluble containing receptacle within which the corn is treated for the purpose of popping, the popped kernelsare separated out-from the unpopped kernels and normally caused to travel from all parts of the interior of the contaming-receptacle as soon'as popped toward and out of the discharge opening, the unpopped kernels being at times fed toward the. 5

coming in direct contact with the unpopped' corn or impinging upon the corn after'it has been popped to char or'otherwise impair it.

surface and 'be thereby-highly heated, and the I continuity of the metal, thereof retainsth'e "heat for a long period, so that the unpopped corn'is'more quickly and continuouslyafl'ected 'by the heat, and, again, by being imperforate the flame or combustion products are entirely excluded from the interior. This is in contradistinction to the corn-poppers heretoforeused having foraminous or reticulated v \casings, which by reason of their being thus i foraminous or perforatedquickly disseminate and loose the heatfrom the metal as soon as it Q leaves the immediate area of the flame and also 'i allow the flame, smoke, and other products of f combustion to pass through the apertures and "come in contact with the corn while popping,

thus not only interfering with the proper action, but imparting disagreeable tastesiand' odors, and also to play uponthe lifted popped i corn and discolor and deteriorate it. Upon a continuous sheet metal the corn can be quickly very highly heated, and then before burning 1 takes place the interior shifting device immediately picks it up and carries it away from the highly-heated surfaceinto a region, where I, there is less heat than'there is in the constructions that permit flame and hot gases to pass up i through the body of the receptacle.

improved corn-popper, a portion, of the con- ;taining-r'e'ceptacle being broken away. Fig.

.tached. Fig. 3 is aitransverse sectional view .on the line X X, Fig. 1, looking toward the ,closed end of the cylinder. Fig. 4= ,is"a like,

1 cylindrical containing-receptacle within which the kernels of corn to be popped are deposit ed, said receptacle being rotatively mounted 2 is a side elevation of the screen, shown de- V Fig. 5 is a detail perspective viewv The numeral 10 designates-an.imperforate Figurel represents a side elevation ofmy upon suitable journals by means of the shaft 11, power being appliedto said shaft'by'any suitable prime mover by means; of the gear" wheel 12 or any other desired transmitting -mechanism. One of the' ends of the cylindrical containing-receptacle 10 is closed, while the opposite end is open and is'pro'vided with" a "suitable" opening or door through "which corn can be introduced into the interior of the cylinder. Located and disposed within the said receptacle is a screen 13, the mesh of which is of such dimension as readily to permit the passage therethrough of the unpopped kernels of corn, but which obstructs and prevents the passage therethrough of the popped kernels. The screen 13 is formed into a single convolution and also so further formed as to provide a substantially cone-shaped inner face. This cone-shaped convoluted screen 13 is disposed horizontally within the containingreceptacle 10 in such a manner as that what may be termed the apex of the cone is adjacent to the closed end of thereceptacle and its base approximately coincident with the open end of said receptacle. The outer margin 14 of the screen 13 is fastened to the cylindrical side of the receptacle 10, and a space is provided between said outer margin 14 and the inner margin 15 of the convolution of the screen 13.

Secured to the open end of the receptacle 10 is a rim 16, which partially closes said open end, the base of the cone-shaped screen being disposed eccentrically relatively to the aperture so formed.

Secured to the cylindrical sides of the receptacle 10, within the interior thereof at a point adjacent to the inner margin 15 of the screen 13 and the apertured end of the said receptacle, iswaidgfiecting plate 17 The operation ofTny improved corn-popper is as follows: The desired quantities of unpopped corn are deposited by any suitable means of feeding Within the interior of the contaming-receptacle 10 through the apertured end of said receptacle, the aperture in said end also constituting the discharge-opening for the popped kernels of corn, the unpopped kernels of corn when so fed finding their way to and resting-and moving upon the imperforate sides of the receptacle 10 by virtue of the size of the mesh of the screen 13. The cylindrical containing-receptacle 10 being rotated and heat applied by any suitable means to the exterior surface of the sides of said receptacle, it will be found that the unpopped kernels of corn are massed together atpoints adjacent to and along the outer margin 14 of the screen 13, a constant movement being imparted to the kernels of corn in the rotation of the receptacle, the normal tendency of movement of said kernels, both popped and unpopped, being toward the screen 13, since said movement of rotation of the receptacle is in the direction of the bent arrow A, Fig. 3, the unpopped kernels of corn passing through the mesh of the screen 13 and returned to the mass adjacent to the inner margin of the said screen 13, the popped kernels of corn, by virtue of their increased size and irregular shape, being held from passing through the screen upon the inner inclined face of the cone-shaped screen 13. By reason normal tendency of movement of the popped corn is toward and out of the discharge-opening along the plane which slopes at all points from the closed end of the cylinder to said discharge-opening. The deflecting-plate 17 insures the passage of each kernel of unpopped corn through the screen 13, since all of the said kernels are deflected toward the central portion of the receptacle at this point before passing to the screen 13, so that of necessity all of the kernels must fall through the mesh of the screen, rendering it impossible for those kernels of unpopped corn adjacent to the discharge-opening to fall out before popping.

By reason of the fact that the longitudinal dimension of the containing receptacle is greater than the diametrical dimension thereof an increased radiating-surface is provided to be acted upon by the heat and the entire mass of corn is retained within the influence of the heat until finally discharged from the receptacle.

Owing to the formation of the screen convolute and approximately conical, the diametrical dimension of the receptacle may be materially lessened and the longitudinal dimension thereof proportionately increased, at the same time insuring the dividing out and discharging of all of the popped kernels of corn directly upon their becoming popped, thus avoiding the otherwise objectionable feature of the overflowing of the popped corn onto the mass of corn remaining unpopped.

The hereinbeforeanentioned lessening of the diametrical dimension of the receptacle brings the upper surface closer to the heat-supply, thus materially lessening the alternate heating and cooling of the receptacle and insuring a more uniform action of the heat upon the corn and lengthening the life of the receptacle.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to'construct a corn-popper consisting of an external shell and an interior convolute to separate the popped from the unpopped corn, and therefore make no claim herein to such a construction, broadly eonsidered; but in all of the earlier proposed constructions with which I am familiar the popped corn had to be removed from the convolute by the attendant or was only delivered at intervals therefrom. By my construction, however, owing to the fact that the convoluto is inclined throughout its entire length toward the discharge end the popped corn is continuously delivered from the apparatus at all times during the revolution of the convolute. Another objection to such earlier constructions has been that the external shell or casing has been composed of foraminous material, which allowed the products of combustion from the heating-flames to mingle with the corn in the popper. This objection 1 overcome by making the external cylinder of thin imperforate sheet metal. With such a construction a high degree of heat can be imparted to the interior IIS or for the products of combustion to of-thepopping-chamber; but it is impossible for the flames to contact with the corn therein enter such chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a corn-popper the combination of an external popping-cylinder formed of Qmperforate sheet metal for the purposes set forth, and

an interior sieve-like foraminous convolute adapted to separate the poppedfrom the unpopped corn, said convolute being arranged to automatically advance the popped corn longitudinally of the popping cylindef to a dis; charge-opening in the end thereof, substantially asset forth.

2. An apparatus comprising a suitablymounted revoluble containing receptacle within which the unpopped kernels of corn are deposited and subjected to heat, a dischargeopening in one of the ends of said receptacle, a substantially cone-shaped convolute screen for separating out the popped from the unpopped kernels of corn, disposed horizontally within the containing-receptacle and providing an inclined plane from all parts of the interior of the cylinder whereby the kernels of corn upon becomingpopped are immediately fed toward and out of the discharge-opening and a deflecting-plate secured within the interior of the containing-receptacle at a point adjacent to the discharge-opening for feeding the unpopped kernels toward the central portion of" said. receptacle to insure their passage through the screen.

3. Ina corn-popper, the combination with a popping-cylinder, of means arranged Within said cylinder for separating the popped corn from the unpopped corn, means for automatically discharging the popped corn from the cylinder, and means for deflecting the unpopped corn inward from the discharge-opening of the popping-cylinder, substantially as set forth. e

4. In a corn-popper, the combination witha popping-cylinder with means arranged within the cylinder for separating the popped corn from the unpopped corn, means for automatically discharging the popped corn from the cylinder, and a deflector-plate secured to and extending transversely of the popping-cylinder for guiding the unpopped corn inward from the discharge-opening of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

5. A corn-popper consisting of an external imperforate cylindrical -shell open at one end, and a cone-shaped convolute screen secured to the inner face of the closed'end of said cylindrical shell and extending in an inclined path to the open end of the external shell, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

6. In a corn-popper adapted to automatically discharge popped corn while in operation, the combination of the exterior popping-cylinder, means for separating the popped from the unpopped corn and carrying the popped corn where it can be discharged, and means supplemental to the cylinder and said separating means for preventing the escape of the unpopped corn from the popping-cylinder, substantially as set forth;

7. A corn-popper havinga rotary poppingcylinder with a discharge-opening at one end, means for separating the popped from the unpopped corn, and an inclined perforated support for the popped corn along which it travels after separation toward the discharge-opening, and means supplemental to the cylinder and said separating means for retaining the unpopped corn in the cylinder until popped and lifted by the screen-like means, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereofv I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two wit-- nesses. v

' JOHN B. BARTHOLOMEW. Witnesses:

WM. M. WILOOXEN, CHARLES C. BULKLEY. 

